Special collections
Lamb-Clarke Irish Historical Apple collection
UCD is home to the Lamb-Clarke Irish Historical Apple collection. The collection comprises some 85 cultivars of culinary and dessert apples, with around 45 being uniquely Irish. While names of townlands such as Oola in Limerick and Waterford and Oulart in Wexford suggest that apples are long cultivated in this country, nursery catalogues from the late 18th and early 19th century list Irish cultivars such as Kerry Pippin.
This collection, which has been supported by the Dept of Agriculture and Food, is an important genetic resource for development of new apple cultivars. It is an integral part of the School of Agriculture and Food Science (SAFS) and plays a crucial role in preserving Ireland’s apple-growing heritage, supporting biodiversity, and serving as an educational and research resource.
Powerscourt Collection of World Timbers
The Powerscourt Collection of World Timbers includes almost 900 samples of timber from across the world. It is a xylarium collection which is a specialized botanical collection focused on wood (xylem tissue) samples, generally used for wood identification, research and educational purposes.